Wipes for the barbecue

After spending years in sales and marketing for a food service company, Michael Griffin and a former business partner founded the Gainesville, GA-based company Grate Chef in 2002. A year later, Grate Chef Grill Wipes were born. “We spent a lot of time in the back of restaurants and noticed how chefs were always cleaning and oiling their grill grates with a towel and oil and started the discussion of if there was something available for the at home griller,” says Griffin. “When we did our research we found that nothing in the market was available and thus we began the work on the product which is now our Grate Chef Grill Wipes.” The wipes prevent food from sticking on the grill, and according to the company, cling to the bristles of any grill brush for easy application, convenience and safety. Each grill wipe is a one-time use product saturated with high temperature grilling oil that is only available in the industrial market. Griffin says this high temperature oil has a burn point of 700 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas consumer oils like vegetable oil, olive oil and peanut oil have burn points that range from 300 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

The wipes are designed to be used on a warm grill grate, which is an advantage, according to Griffin, who says grill sprays have to be cold and are flammable. “Grate Chef Grill Wipes oil the actual grates, unlike sprays that spray into the coals and burn off when your grill heats to 350 degrees or more,” he adds. According to the company’s website, paper towels with oil are highly flammable when using on the grill, and are only “marginally effective in cleaning an abrasive grilling surface.” The company touts its wipes as strong, absorbent, and flame retardant, delivering “a specially formulated, foodservice-grade high heat grilling oil to your grates, just like the professionals.” Oxco of Charlotte, NC, supply the nontoxic and biodegradable wipes for Grate Chef, which are made of a blend of synthetic and natural fibers that are needlepunched into a dimensionally strong web. The company also offers Stainless Steel Wipes that clean, resist fingerprints and condition various stainless steel surfaces such as grills, refrigerators and dishwashers. Grate Chef Grill Wipes are available at Lowe’s Home Improvement stores, Home Depot, and major supermarkets across the U.S. and Canada. A six-pack of Grill Wipes retail for $2.99.